Abner s



(Modelp) v A s. BROWN.

. TONGUE SUPPORT. No. 272,024; Patented Feb. 13,1883.

. WITNESSES IJVVEJVIOR u, PETERS. PMQumc w-un wumn m. n. c.

or remove the above danger of bending or citizen of the United States, residing at Caniwagon-tongue whereby the usual rigid notched NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

ABNER S. BROWN, OF CAMBRIDGE, NEBRASKA.

TONGUE-SUPPORT] SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 272,024, dated February 13,. 1883.

Application filed October 30, 1882.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ABNER S. BROWN, a

bridge, in the county of Furnas and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Shaft and Tongue Supporters; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being bad to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

Figure l of the drawings is a perspective view of my invention, showing its attachment to a wagon; Fig. 2, a detailview of the spring. supporting device on an enlarged scale, and partly in section; Fig. 3, a cr'oss'section thereof, and Fig. 4 a detail view of the chain for attaching to the wagon-tongue.

The present invention has relation to certain new and useful improvements in that class of wagon-tongue supports wherein is employed a coiled or spiral spring encircling a staple, or two rods having upon each end circular plates or caps, through which passes a'central rod, hooked at one end and adapted to engage with a notched plate or lever secured to the tongue of the wagon, whereby the tongue is supported in an elevated position. This staple or double rod was usually formed by taking a rod of the required length and bending it double in a U shape to form the two arms, upon which were titted the two circular plates or caps.

The objection to the above manner of constructing the staple was the greatrdangeror liability of its becoming twisted or bent out of a true line at the point where it is attached to the wagon, which would prevent the inner one of the circular plates or caps fromsliding on the-arms of the staple when the hooked rod is connected to the notched plate or lever on the wagon-tongue.

It is the object of this invention to remedy twistingout of a true line that portion of the staple connected to the wagon, and also provide a simple means for attachment to the plates andlevers aredispensed with. These objects I attain by the construction substau tially as shown in the drawings, and hereinafter described and claimed.

(ModeL) In the accompanying drawings, Arepresents the front end of a wagon, with the usual dashboard, B, and tongue 0. To the upper portion of the dash-board B is attached, by an eye bolt, a, the tongue-support, consisting of the spiral spring D, circular plates or caps 12, through which loosely passes the hooked rod E, and the two arms of the staple F. These several parts are of the usual construction, with the exception that in place of having the staple F at its inner end terminate in U shape it is twisted, as shown at c. This twisting of thestaple, as at 0, so that one of the arms will lap the other, gives increased strength at that point where most needed, and by the lateral swinging of the tongue 0, or any sudden motion of it, the staple possessing greater strength at the point'of connection to the dash-board, it will not twist or bend out of a true line, which otherwise would prevent the inner one of the plates or caps 12 from sliding upon the arms of the staple. I

In place of the usual levers,notche-d plates, or other rigid or inflexible devices attached to the wagon-tongue for connecting thereto the hooked rod E, I employ a flexible device in the shape of a chain, Gr. By the employment of the chain G a very simple device is provided, having the required flexibility to prevent the wagon-tongue being held rigid and injuripg the horses neck, and the hooked,

rod E can be engaged with any one of the links of the chain to support the tongue in a higher or lower position.

It will be noticed that the tongue-support, when connected to the chain G, is at an angle of about forty-five degrees to the tongue 0, instead of the device being horizontal, as is the case when attached to the bolster of the wagon. Thus, by connecting it to the dashboard as shown, I obtain full power of the spiral spring D without the draft interfering with the device.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A tongue-support consisting of the spiral spring D, hooked rod E, plates or caps b, and staple F, twisted as shown at 0, so that the arms of the staple will lap each other in com bination with'a suitable holding device, connected to the tongue for engaging therewith the hooked rod, substantially as and for the In testimony that I claim the above I have 10 purpose set forth. hereunto subscribed my name in the presence 2. The combination, with the chain Gr, cone of two witnesses. neoted to the tongue 0, of the support consisting of the spiral spring D, hooked rod E, ABNER S. BROWN. piates or capsb, and staple F,twisted as shown at c, to give increased strength at the point of Witnesses: connection to the eyebolt a, substantially as S. P. DELATOUR, and for the purpose specified. W. E. BABCOOK. 

